Blues Gang bassist Jim Madasamy dies at 68

Related Articles

Bassist Jim Madasamy, a familiar face on the local music circuit and a founding member of the legendary Blues Gang in the late 1970s, passed away this morning (April 16). Tributes to the late 68-year-old have been pouring in on social media, with many reacting in shock to the news.

“We have lost one of the nicest people in the local music industry, a true gentleman. Thank you so very much for the years of wonderful music,” musician Gerard Singh said in a posting on Facebook.

Karyawan president Freddie Fernandez said he had known Madasamy since they were teenagers. “We both went to St Joseph’s School in Johor Baru. He was about two years my senior but we were both active cross-country runners and we got to know each other through running,” he shared.

Fernandez added that when he met Madasamy in recent years, he would joke that back then he would be the winner but now, Madasamy would only need to walk to beat him, as Madasamy had kept on running and even participated in a few marathons.

“We hooked up again in the music industry and I would try to go to his gigs. It was always a pleasure to see him and hear him perform. He achieved a lot in his life and his memory is something to be treasured and cherished. He will be sadly missed,” Fernandez said.

Blues Gang bandmate Julian Mokhtar was shocked to learn about Madasamy’s passing this morning. “He was a very straight guy; never said anything bad about anybody. He was a very good friend,” Julian said, adding that he had first met Madasamy in Kuala Lumpur in the mid-1970s.

“When I first joined the band, I was still starting out and not very good. When the other band members wanted to replace me, Jim voted for me to stay and I’ll always be thankful for that,” he said.